and papers just arrived, we are happy to learn, that the Governor, Sir Thomas Brisbane, has liberally granted a tract of 10,000 acres of land to the Society, in order to give effect to the plans proposed for instructing them in Christianity and civilization. The site is called Reaa's Mistake, in the neighbourhood of Newcastle, and about 40 miles from Sydney. Mr. Threl keld, who has kindly undertaken the Mission, has returned from a tour of observation, and reports most favourably of the spot, and the natives are pressingly anxious for his residence among them. It is supposed, that a settlement of 300 will be immediately collected. Messrs. Tyerman and Bennet are likely to continue at the Colony till the Mission is established.

ACCOUNT OF THE PROTESTANT WORSHIP AT ROME; IN A LETTER TO THE EDITORS OF THE ARCHIVES DU CHRISTIANISME.

(Translation.)

Rome, 19th January, 1825. GENTLEMEN,--You request from me some information concerning the celebration of Evangelical worship at Rome; I hasten to inform you that it is now celebrated there in two languages; the English, and the German. The English were the first who had regularly organized Divine service here; the religious spirit which generally actuates their nation, incited them to do so, and the vast number of them who sojourn here, put the means easily within their reach; hence the English worship conformable to the Liturgy of the Anglicane church, has already been established a good number of years; most frequently there are two services every Sunday morning and evening, but there is only a sermon, properly so called, in the morning. The congre gation are sometimes as numerous as 500, and even more. It was formerly held in the interior of the city, in a private house, situated in the Avignon way (Via degli Avignonesi); but this winter it has been moved to another place, without the Gate of the People (Porte du Peuple). This change appears to me advantageous, as well because the former place was not spacious enough to hold all who wished to join, as also because the crowd of carriages which met in a narrow street, at the hour of worship, attracted, in such sort, the attention of the people, that it might have been the occasion of trouble, and have furnished a pretext for the prohibition of these religious assemblies up to the present time it has been deemed preferable to appear ignorant of them.

The worship is not under the direction of a resident clergyman, but measures have been taken, by which there is at Rome, every winter, a minister of the English church, who conducts the worship during his stay; and as it frequently occurs that many ecclesiastics meet, they then divide NEW SERIES, No. 10.

the duty. From this results a rapid succession of preachers, but this circumstance, by reason of the changes which also happen among the hearers, has not been attended with any disagreeable consequence; on the contrary, it has afforded opportunity to a greater number of heralds to announce the news of Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

The German community is of considerably later date, having only existed since the summer of 1813, under the protection of the Prussian Legation. Its organization was brought about by the sad examples that had been witnessed of the frequent returns of German Protestants to the Catholic church, a return which may be attributed, at least in numerous instances, to their ignorance of the true doctrine of their own church, or in other cases, it may be to the desire which they might feel to engage in public worship, and when sick to receive those religious consolations, which they took from the hands of Catholic ecclesiastics, rather than be wholly deprived of them. The sickness of a Prussian Protestant of elevated rank having, in 1818, furnished a new proof of the activity with which the Roman Clergy seek, in such cases, to gain proselytes to their church, Counsellor Neibuhr, then Prussian minister at the Papal Court, thought it his duty to persuade the king to attach a chaplain to his Legation at Rome, and to unite in a body, under his protection, all German Protestants residing in that city. In consequence, Mr. Henry Edward" Schmieder came, in that capacity, to Rome, in June, 1819, and the first Protestant worship in the German language was celebrated on the 27th of the same month, in a hall prepared for that purpose, in the palace of Ursin, (Palais d'Orsini,) the antient Theatre of Marcellus, (Theatre de Marcellus,) then occupied by the Prussian Minister.

The German Protestants who dwell at Rome, form, since that time, one church, not very numerous, it is true, the average number not exceeding a hundred members, and these frequently changing. The families of the ministers of Prussia, of Hanover, and of the Low Countries, are, as it were, the centre of this little flock; to them are joined divers artizans, whose employment leads them to sojourn here for some years, and I have known not a few who derive real benefit from their connection with our Society. Since the departure of M. Niebuhr, the worship has been celebrated in the Buffarell Palace (Palais Buffarelli,) near the capital, where the resident minister lives, in a large hall on the ground floor, which is furnished after the manner of a chapel. The distance from any noisy passage is extremely favourable for the situation.

The service is performed every Sunday 4 B

and holyday at ten o'clock in the morning, and at eight during the summer months. The new Prussian Liturgy has been in use since the first Sunday in Advent, 1822; the King of Prussia being at that time at Rome, led to its introduction. Besides the preachings on the Sundays, there was held in the chapel, after the month of March, 1822, meetings for prayer every Wednesday evening, at the close of which, the pastor explained portions of the Holy Scriptures, or developed the doctrines of the confession of Augsburgh. Local circumstances having occasioned very few to attend these meetings, M. Schmeider thought it was an intimation from the Lord to discontinue them.

When I succeeded that worthy minister, whom the German church at Rome considers as its founder, and whom it will ever remember with sentiments of affection and gratitude, at the commencement of the year, 1824, it appeared to me proper to meet in my own house twice a week, with those who felt the importance of joining in social worship, and had a desire to be more particularly instructed than they could be by the public worship. I employ these evenings to familiarise the members of my flock, who attend, with many theological points, which it is almost indispensable that Protestants here, surFounded as they are with Catholics, should be acquainted; the more so, as some Catholics labour in an open and active manner to bring those over to their communion who have not formerly belonged to it; an activity for proselytism being there displayed in unison with the greatest facilities for carrying it into effect.

The Lord has favoured these small meetings with his blessing hitherto. A catechetical instruction which I give on the Sunday afternoon, in the chapel, to the German Protestant working class, completes the enumeration of my functions. We celebrate the Lord's Supper every five or six weeks.

Attached to the church is a place where poor natives of Germany, who fall sick during their residence at Rome, are cared for at the public expense.

It remains, Gentlemen, to say a few words concerning the Protestant cemetery, situated near the Testaceian Mount, (Mont Testaccio,) at the foot of Caius Cestius' Pyramid, (Pyramide de Cajus Cestius.) It is destined to all Christians, not Catholic, who die here.

The most

antient traces of burying here, which can be found, reach back to 1765; that first burying ground is already filled with tombs, and since the autumn of 1822, it is in a new cemetery, quite nigh to the other, that we have buried our dead. It is at that period, that circumstances not devoid of interest, in the history of the cemetery at Rome, deserve to be detailed;

up to that period it was not encircled with a wall, nor defended in any manner from degradation; but was exposed to the ravages of animals which passed by, or were in the neighbourhood, and also to be wasted by the populace, who came at different times of the year, and particularly in the month of October, to celebrate their popular fetes on the Mont Testaccio. Notwithstanding these inconveniences, the government would not allow the erection of a wall. But while the question was agitated in 1822, in the Parliament of England, relative to the state of the Catholics in Scotland (Ireland), and a member having remarked on that occasion, that at Rome a safe sepulcl:re was not granted to the English who died there, this circumstance published in the Journals, excited a fear in the Papal Court that it might have an influence unfavourable to the deliberations, relative to the state of the Catholics of that country, and Pius VII granted immediately permission to enclose the Protestant cemetery with a wall, and even promised to defray the expense. The new cemetery was thereupon encircled with a high wall, and a large ditch was digged round the old one, which was proposed to be walled at some future period in fact, a wall could not be raised in that place, without intercepting the view of a part of Cestius' Pyramid.

The

Such was the state of things when Pius VII. died. New retardments presented themselves under his successor. falling in of the banks had in a great measure filled up the ditch in such sort, that the tombs were not in sufficient safety. The Prussian Minister, in the spring of the past year renewed his applications, and obtained from the Pope authority to make a deep ditch round the old cemetery, to make it large, and built up the banks with a parapet, elevated above the level of the earth.

Subscriptions have been already obtained to a considerable amount for this object. The donations of his Majesty the King of Prussia, of divers Protestant Princes, and new subscriptions collected from strangers, particularly from the English, augmented it yet more, and the wall in question was constructed last summer under the direction of the Prussian Legation, who took care that a proper and equal distribution should be made to both

cemeteries.

It is thus the Lord has permitted the bodies of Protestant Christians, who die at Rome, to repose in peace and security. May He vouchsafe also to grant to the sojourners there, the grace to enjoy, through his spirit, that spiritual peace which passes all understanding, and may He also increase in their hearts, that living faith in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners. Will you, Gentlemen, will the Protestants

BIBLICAL DISPUTES IN IRELAND.

In consequence of the Roman Catholic Priests of Carlow having got up a hasty and packed meeting, in which principles opposed to the circulation of the Scriptures, were asserted and maintained, the Rev. Messrs. Wingfield, Daly, Singer, and Hamilton, Clergymen of the Protestant Church of Ireland, united with the Rev. J. Burnett, and the Rev. W. Urwick, the Independent Ministers of Cork and Sligo, in addressing the following challenge through the public journals, to the Rev. Messrs. Clowry, Kinsella, M'Sweeny, Maher, Nolan, Cahill, and O'Connell, the priests who had been active in the busi

ness.

GENTLEMEN-In the spirit of the Divine commands, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," and All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them," we now seriously address you.

There appeared in the Carlow Newspaper, of the 11th inst. an account of the proceedings at a public meeting held there on Saturday, the 6th of August, to consider the propriety of opposing the proceedings of the Bible Society. The advertisement calling this meeting, and inviting persons of all religious persuasions to attend, is dated Wednesday, the 3d of August, was printed in the Carlow paper for the first time on Thursday, the 4th, and did not appear in any Dublin print until the evening of Friday, the 5th.

At

a meeting, of which the inhabitants of Carlow and its vicinity had but two days notice; residents in Dublin but twelve hours notice, and of which persons in distant parts of the country could have had no notice at all; it was utterly impossible for us to have given that attendance there, which we should not have failed to have given, had we received timely information.

Being thus prevented by the short notice which the Managers of that meeting gave, from appearing there, we feel ourselves called upon publicly to protest against the positions then laid down, and the arguments there advanced in opposition to the unrestricted circulation and reading of the Holy Scriptures. Moreover, as at the recent Annual Meeting of the Carlow Bible Society, the advocates for the circulation of the Scriptures carefully abstained from entering into any discussion of the points at issue, both because it did not properly belong to the business of the day, and also because there were none of the Roman Catholic Clergy present to answer, we feel

ourselves further called upon, by the love and reverence we have for the Sacred Scriptures, the great Charter of our Salvation, and by the love we bear to our fellow men, to invite you, which we hereby do, to a full and fair discussion of the principal subjects at issue between the Roman Catholic Clergy, and the advocates of the Universal Circulation of the Holy Scriptures.

When Mr. Daly called for a similar discussion last year, Mr. Clowry replied, that he and his brethren would be always found ready at Carlow, but that they could not attend a meeting in Dublin. In order, therefore, to obviate any such objection, we propose, that the meeting to which we have hereby invited you, should be held in some convenient place in the town of Carlow, (in the Chapel if you prefer it,) on Thursday, the 20th of September next.

That the principal points at issue may be more clearly understood, and more maturely considered on both sides, we have embodied them in the following propositions, which we will be prepared, with God's grace, to maintain and defend.

I. That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as generally received by Protestants, not including what is usually called the Apocrypha, contain all things necessary to salvation, and constitute the only standard of revealed truth.

II. That the Holy Scriptures are the common property of all mankind, and that all men have a common and inalienable right to possess and to read them.

III. That as every man must give account of himself to God, and as the Holy Scriptures contain the principles by which his eternal happiness or misery will be determined in the last great day, it is both the right and the duty of every man to exercise his own judgment in the understanding of the Holy Scriptures.

IV. That there never was instituted by Christ, and that there does not exist, a permanent, living, infallible tribunal, for the interpretation of Scripture, and the authoritative decision of controversies.

V. That the privileges and blessings which Christ has conferred upon his church, do not belong exclusively to the Church of Rome.

VI. That the authorized English translation of the Inspired Scriptures, is free from dangerous error or wilful corruption. The order of proceeding we propose should be as follows:

1. An individual of each party to speak alternately.

2. The propositions to be taken up seriatim, and one proposition be discussed before another be entered on.--Only one speech and a reply, on each side, to be permitted in the discussion of any one proposition.

3. The meeting to commence at 10, and to adjourn at 4 o'clock each day.

4. That no resolution be proposed for the adoption of the meeting.

5. That reporters on both sides be in attendance,

6. That only fifty respectable individuals on each side be admitted, besides the chairman, the speakers, the managers and reporters; and that no ladies be admitted.

7. Admission to be only by tickets.

This arrangement, however, as to time, place, and order, to be subject, if deemed necessary on your part, to such alterations as may be agreed on.

In thus inviting you to a calm and wellregulated discussion, we disclaim the idea of striving for any personal victory, or of interfering between you and your flocks: our only object is, the eliciting of truth, on which ever side it may exist, by affording an opportunity for full and mutual explanation.

We address ourselves to you particularly, as you have shewn yourselves to be the most determined, as well as among the most able of the opponents to the free circulation of the Scriptures; but we by no means wish to confine this invitation to yourselves; we leave you at liberty to avail yourselves of any assistance you may wish to procure, only providing that the number of speakers, on each side, be equal.

After all that has passed, you cannot decline so fair and liberal à proposal, without publicly abandoning the cause you profess to advocate.

In order to carry into effect the necessary arrangements for the meeting, to select a chairman, &c. &c., we have appointed three gentlemen to act on our behalf, who will cheerfully co-operate with a like number to be appointed by you; and on this matter we beg to refer you to Chichester Fortescue, Esq. No. 2, North Great George's Street, Dublin; to whom we request your reply may be inclosed.

With sincere and fervent prayer that the God of truth may be with us and guide us into all truth, we are, Gentlemen, yours, in sincerity,

E. WINGFIELD, ROBERT DALY, I. H. SINGER. GEO. HAMILTON, W. URWICK. 20th August. JOHN BURNETT.

Dated, 15th August.

18th August.

P. S. In consequence of the Rev. Mr. Pope's absence in England, for the re-establishment of his health, his reply, autho rising his name to be affixed to this letter, has not yet been received, but there is no doubt of his cordial concurrence with the proposal.

August 23, 1825.

As there was no way of honourable escape from such a challenge; it happened most opportunely for these Roman Catholic Clergymen, that their Bishop, Dr. J. Doyle, was then upon his visitation, and with due official vigilance, he instantly aldressed to them the following interdict, which, while it must strike every reader with the excessive puerility of its arguments, no one will be surprised that he commands his clergy to abstain from a public discussion with these tried champions of the Protestant cause.

Some folk are beaten till they know What wood the stick's of by the blow.

Reverend and Dear Brethren--I have only heard of a challenge to dispute being pub. lished in the DUBLIN EVENING POST, wherein certain members of the Bible So

ciety, in Dublin, propose to meet some individuals of our Clergy, in the presence of a select portion of the public, in order to discuss some question or questions previously agreed upon, and which are to relate, I suppose, to the religious belief of the parties to be thus engaged.

I need not remind you, dearest Brethren, of what is ruled by the Supreme Authority of the Church (see Ben. xiv. de Syn. Dioc.) with regard to individuals, unauthorised thereto by their Bishop, not entering into public disputations with persons maintaining heretical opinions; your own good sense, and the very nature of divine truth, as deposited by Christ with his apostles and their successors, show to you, that whatever relates to faith, norals, or discipline, should be regulated by those whom the Holy Ghost has appointed to govern the Church. I, therefore, hear ing of the above challenge, wish to inform you, and all those concerned with you, that, having given to this matter what consideration it deserves, it is my wish that no such disputation as is above mentioned be had by you, or by any one of you, with the gentlemen alluded to.

As the obedience you owe to me is a reasonable one, it is just that I should state to you the grounds upon which I require of you to exercise it in this matter; and they areFirst. Because the character of the Christian religion is PEACE; and the end of it, to establish peace and good will upon earth, as the means of fitting men for heaven. This end of our calling was announced by the angels at Bethlehem, when the humanity and benignity of our Saviour God first appeared; and it was repeated by himself, when he was about to leave us and return to his Father, in these words: "My peace I leave you, my peace I give "To the establishment or preservation of this peace, the disputation mentioned would, in itself, and in its effects, be directly opposed.

you.

Second. St. Paul says, "If any one he contentious, or fond of disputes, we have

no such custom, nor the Church of God." We would, therefore, deviate from the principles of God's Church, and the custom of the Saints, as well as prove ourselves unmindful of the Apostle's suggestion, if we became fond of disputes.

Thirdly. Because all experience has proved the justice and truth of Tertullian's remarks, in his book on " Prescription," wherein he says, that disputes with heretics weary the weak, create anxiety in the mind of others, and that the only thing we obtain by them is, to have our anger excited by their blasphemy. The reason assigned by him for this opinion is quite obvious; it is, that heretics despise authority which alone can determine disputes; that they disregard tradition, without which it is impossible to understand rightly that part of revelation which is written; and because they appeal to the Scriptures, which are mute, and cannot therefore decide. In quibus (scripturis) incerta est victoria aut par incerta.

Fourthly. Because no general principles, to which the questions to be discussed could be finally referred, can be agreed upon between the parties; for this reason, that the members of the Bible Society do not admit our Creed, nor have they any Creed of their own. They do not admit our Creed, for they accuse the Church of having decreed error, and of having been sunk in idolatry for upwards of eight hundred years: see the Book of Homilies. They also have long misunderstood that universal article of the Christian faith, as expressed in the Nicene Creed, amplified in the first Council of Constantinople, and which says, I believe in ONE HOLY CA

THOLIC and APOSTOLIC CHURCH.' Nay, there is reason to apprehend that they have latterly endeavoured, though unconsciously, to dissolve the entire religion of Christ into a system of latitudinarianism, approaching to utter infidelity. They have no creed of their own; for, from the reports of proceedings which, on a former occasion, took place between you and them, it appears that they maintained errors the most opposite one to the other, and that, being invited to produce a common formula of faith, they were unable to do so. It also appears, that, though some of these men nominally belong to the Established Church, they disregard her discipline and authority, as it is laid down in the ordinance of the King, prefixed to the Articles of Religion,' as it is expressed or implied in the Articles themselves, and as it is recorded in the words of many of their prelates; they do so, by advocating an unlimited right for themselves and others to judge on all matters of religion, regardless of all authority. With such men, there can be no common principles to which they could be bound to adhere; or, if there were any, they could be departed from by them, as soon as their

opinions underwent a change; but in no case would such principles express a form of religious belief binding upon any others than those who might subscribe to them. You who are Catholics, professing a clearly defined faith, can never meet men who are thus tossed about by every wind of doctrine, upon a footing of equality. They may be worsted in argument, convicted of error, confounded at the exposure of their own contradictions or folly; but they alone can suffer--no one is responsible for their errors, no person need blush at their confusion, no man is a partner in their shame. Not so with you. If, through error, mistake, ignorance, or forgetfulness, you leave an objection unrefuted, or an aspersion not wiped away, such objection or aspersion stands recorded against your Church, and the chaste spouse of Christ suffers, in your person, from the blasphemy of her apostate children.

Fifthly. You are to avoid these disputes, because, by entering into them, you appear to call in question those truths which are already defined by the Holy Ghost and by us; that is, by the Bishops, the successors of the Apostles. You agree, as it were, to impannel a jury, of I know not what description of persons, to try the question, whether Christ is with us, teaching all days, even to the end of the world; whether the Holy Ghost has, or has not, taught our fathers all truth; whether we be placed by him to rule the Church of God; whether this Church be, or be not, the pillar and ground of truth; whether those whom we leave bound on earth be bound in heaven; or whether the gates of hell have, or can prevail against the Church; whether, again, this Church has been buried in idolatry for eight hundred years; whether, in fine, those who refuse to hear her, and who thereby despise Christ, and the Father who sent him, are, or are not, as heathens and publicans before God. The truths, Rev. Brethren, which would be thus subjected, as it were, to trial, are clear and incontestible: you yourselves have enforced them by much argument and great eloquence; and it is because they are immoveable, and because your arguments in support of them are able, convincing, and unanswerable, that the members of the Bible Society wish, by inviting you to a renewed discussion, to turn public attention from the palpable folly of their proceedings; from the unspeakable evils which the principles they advocate have entailed upon society; from the frauds and impositions practised by persons connected with them; but, above, all, from the contemplation of that worst of all evils, the introduction and justification of Socinianism or infidelity-evils which flow immediately and necessarily from the recognition of an unlimited right in all